insert interesting title here
by TheLadyPanda
Summary: Ok, I suck at summaries. Its an original fantasy story. No title yet. Basic plot line but I don't even know how its gonna end quite yet. Work in progress. Just putting it on here so I actually work on it more.
1. Chapter 1

Ok so this story doesn't have a title yet but it's an original I've been playing with off and on for about a month now. I have decided to put it on here in an effort to actually be able to finish it.

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**CHAPTER 1**

The evening wasn't exactly cold for late fall, but there was a defiant chill about it. As a gust of wind blew through the young girl's long, black hair, a shiver ran down her spine. She wanted to stretch her long, tan legs; they were cramped from crouching behind the trunk of a large tree for almost an hour, but she didn't dare move a muscle. Her bright green eyes scanned the forest for the large buck that she had been tracking.

She could hear it now, almost in range of her bow. She had been hunting for the past two days and this was the first animal she had seen the entire time; aside from the occasional field mouse, which were not even worth the effort. This deer could provide a good amount of food for her family. The small village of Clomoke had had a rough couple of years. The crops had only produced half of what they normally yielded and many of the farm animals had started to become sickly. Her family was tough, as were all the residents of Clomoke, and stubborn to boot, not letting a couple dead crops bring down their spirits.

There was talk from a few of the older, more superstitious residents of a darkness covering the land. Peddlers and traders that came through would speak of war and famine throughout the different kingdoms. Pyre had always wanted to visit the big cities; she would imagine what it would be like to go somewhere new. She loved her little village but she longed for something more.

She shook her head to clear away the thoughts and realized her prey was now within range. Slowly and quietly, Pyre pulled the bow from her back and notched an arrow toward the unsuspecting deer, waiting for him to move just a little further away from the tree. She held her breath; she only had one shot at this.

Suddenly, a snap to her right made both her and the deer start. The animal turned quickly and bolted into the trees. Cursing under her breath, Pyre pulled the bow back over her shoulder and looked to her right, gazing though the forest. The sun was already setting low on the horizon and the shadows were dancing through the trees, obstructing her vision. She squinted into the brush but could see no signs of life. After a few moments of silence, Pyre decided it was nothing and, sighing, turned and headed back to her camp.

She reached her small clearing easily and quickly. Pulling the bow from her back, she set it down next to her pack and bedroll. She traveled light when she could, especially when she was hunting. She lit a small fire and sat next to it, stretching out her aching legs and warming her hands. She reached over to her pack and grabbed some salted pork and her whetstone. Nibbling on the dried meat, she pulled her daggers from their holsters in her boots and began sharpening them; a ritual which she followed every night, thanks to her father.

Her father had taken her hunting often as a child and taught her everything she knew. He was the best hunter in all of Clomoke. He was always teaching her little tricks of his while they were out in the woods. One of the first things he had made her learn was how to listen to the forest. He always told her that if one projected their abilities out far enough, they could hear all the way to the next town. She never believed someone could hear that far though, that was impossible. However, that was a long time ago, back before he died.

Shaking her head, she pushed the thoughts of her father out of her mind. She didn't like thinking about him often if she could help it. Pyre sheathed the knives back into her boots and replaced the sharpening stone in her sack. She unrolled her sleeping pad, laid down and closed her eyes. She concentrated on the sounds of the forest; trying to empty her head of thoughts so she would be able to sleep.

First, she could only hear the sound of her fire crackling a couple steps away. She sunk into the concentration, pushing her focus outward until she could hear the leaves rustling above, water bubbling from a brook in the east, a couple of field mice to the north of her, leaves and sticks crunching to the...Pyre's eyes snapped open. The last one was footsteps, it had to be, and they sounded like they were getting closer. The young girl jumped up, grabbed her bow, doused the fire and ran, ducking into the bushes just as three figures walked into the opening.

"She was just here, find her!" the tallest man yelled to the other two, looking around the clearing.

The other two men went scurrying around just outside of the clearing, looking for traces of anyone who had just been there. Pyre shrunk back deeper into the bushes as one of them walked by her. The leader looked around the site in disgust. He was a good head taller than the other two men. The light from his torch danced off his chiseled, unshaved face, giving him a very rugged look. He was dressed in dark clothed which looked worn with travel and time. His dark brown cloak fluttered slightly around his muscular body and he slowly walked around the camp, examining it extensively. As the other two men came back to the clearing, Pyre noticed they were dressed as soldiers. Their uniforms were of red satin with golden embroidery along the chest and right sleeve.

"No sign of anyone in the area," the stocky one said, lowering his eyes to the ground, "Sir." He added after a moment's pause. There was resentment in his voice and he held a sickly smile on his face.

The taller man growled with irritation. With a sigh, he turned to the man who hadn't spoken."You said you saw the girl head off into this direction earlier, Handoff, did you not?"

So it HAD been another person who had snapped the twig! Pyre mentally kicked herself for not paying more attention before. And what girl were they looking for? Surely not her...there was nothing special about her. She had never done anything to go against the king, at least not to her knowledge.

"Err...uh yes, sir," the lean man said, "I believe it was a girl but I could be wrong, it was getting dark."

The dark man nodded, clearly deep in thought. He glanced back over to the fire pit that was still smoking. He walked to it and bent down, his hand hovering over the smoldering embers, only a couple inches away.

"This is still warm. She was just here. Marco, go fetch the horses, she couldn't have gotten far; we'll find her."

The fat man glowered at the taller man. The smile he pasted on his face did not touch his cold eyes. The scar along the side of his face made his smile look as though it didn't belong. "As you command, Dommerth," he replied with irritation and animosity. Without a bow, Marco turned on his heal and stomped into the trees.

Dommerth watched the man go, his face clear of emotion as though he was a statue. Pyre, however, could feel the anger seeping off the tall, dark man. The lanky man coughed and then shrank back when the dark man turned his attention on him. The soldier realized he was rubbing his hands together and attempted to hold them at his side.

"Handoff, go though that stuff over there and see if there's anything useful," Dommerth said, nodding towards Pyre's belongings.

For the second time, Pyre mentally kicked herself for not grabbing her pack. She had completely forgotten about it.

The skinny man flinched at being spoken to, but recovered quickly. He nodded and started digging through Pyre's satchel, while Dommerth examined at the ground, muttering to himself; he crouched down every now and then, as if to get a closer look at the dirt. Pyre prayed he was not a good tracker. She might be able to outrun these guys, but defiantly not the horses.

He slowly walked over to Pyre's hiding spot and she froze. He looked towards the bush she was hiding in and she felt his gaze settle on her, she could swear he could hear her thundering heart. Whether it was her they were looking for or not, getting caught did not seem like a good idea at this point. Trying not to move, she peered through the undergrowth and her breath caught in her throat. He was staring directly at her hiding spot. She was completely hypnotized by his eyes. They were like two pools of the clearest icy, blue water. She had never met anyone with eyes such as these.

"Sir, there is nothing here, save some clothing and a few coin, not enough even to get a cup of ale, I reckon," Handoff said, wrinkling his nose. "There is this nice water skin though," he said holding it up, "I think I will keep this…"

Dommerth stood a minute longer, still staring at the spot where Pyre was hiding, then turned, breaking the trance Pyre was in. She shook her head, blinking a couple times. _What the hell was that?_ she thought. She had never experience anything like that in all her years.

"Just grab everything, we'll bring it all with us," Dommerth said, as Marco walked through the trees, leading three horses.

He mounted his black stallion without a word. With one last look in Pyre's direction, he led the other two men to the north, away from the clearing and away from Pyre's hiding spot. Pyre waited until her heart had slowed, listening for a moment, trying to hear if the soldiers were still near the area. Once she was sure they were gone for good, she crept out of the bushes and took off, towards her village to the south, into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ok this one is a little longer than the last one bc I decided to add a little bit more about Pyre's family and I wanted to add more about Dommorth. Anyhoo...enjoy :)**

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CHAPTER 2

It was long after dawn before Pyre woke. The warm mid-day sun beat down on her body, covering her like a blanket. She blinked a couple times, letting her eyes adjust to the light. She stretched her aching body. She had run all night until she was exhausted, pushing her body until it collapsed. She had tried to get as far away from those men as she could. She didn't understand why they would be after her, and honestly she didn't want to think about it. They did not look friendly. She shook her head to clear it. She would think about those guys later.

Pyre pushed herself up off the uncomfortable ground and grabbed her bow. She stretched once more, pulled her bow over her shoulders and headed south. As she walked, Pyre tried to focus her mind on the forest again, listening for any sounds of animals she could possibly bring to her family. Ever since her father had been killed, she was the best hunter of Clomoke, yet even these days she couldn't find anything. She heard water running to the east and headed in that direction, realizing she was parched. She couldn't focus now; all she could think about was the burning in her throat.

She dropped everything once she reached the stream, filling her hands with water and gulping it down. She splashed her face, trying to wake herself up. Pyre looked up and noticed a large buck on the other side of the water, drinking also. It looked up at her and she stayed perfectly still; this was her chance. After a moment, the buck went back to drinking and Pyre grabbed her bow and got an arrow ready; at least she had been smart enough to grab those. She let the arrow fly and hit it in the animal's shoulder. Growling, Pyre nocked another arrow and shot again, but the buck had already begun running away.

Cursing loudly, Pyre splashed through the water, chasing after her prey. She could hear it faintly ahead of her, dodging through the crowded forest. The trees blew past her in a brown and green blur, but she never collided with anything. Pyre could barely feel the rocks and twigs beneath her feet as she bolted after the injured animal. Her lungs and chest screamed with pain and her aching body urged her to rest, but she pushed on, knowing this may be her last chance. She had missed the deer yesterday; she couldn't lose this one too.

Pyre slowed to a jog to try and listen for the buck, but could hear nothing of the animal. She pushed her sense out as far as she could but still could hear nothing. She stopped and closed her eyes, praying for just the smallest sound and still nothing. Angry tears threatened to pour down her face in frustration. She took a deep breath to calm herself and a familiar scent filled her nostrils. She opened her eyes and looked around in confusion. It smelt like something burning, as though there was a fire nearby. She followed her nose to the smell. Slowly, she crept through the forest, careful not to make a sound; she did not want another encounter with the soldiers. She could hear a fire crackling not far in front of her; and what sounded like a man humming. Edging up to a tree, she peeked around it, ready to run or hide at a moment's call. All she saw, however, was an elderly man sitting on a log, a roaring fire in front of him. There was a large, black pot hanging above the fire that he was stirring with a large ladle.

"You needn't hide, child, I will not harm you," the old man said, not looking up from his work.

Pyre froze, unsure what to do. There was no way he had heard her sneak up on him; she could walk across a blanket of dead leaves and not make a sound. Pyre struggled with herself for a moment, then, cautiously, stepped into the small clearing, eyeing the man suspiciously. She still had an arrow nocked in case he made any sudden movements.

"Come, sit," the old man patted the log next to him, "I won't bite." He looked up at her and smiled. His face was old and weathered, but had warmth to it. He had a white beard that came down to near the middle of his chest, and white hair the same length. He was dressed in old, grey robes, which were covered in dirt.

"Who are you?" Pyre asked standing a couple paces away, still not entirely sure if she could trust this man. She knew better than to take people at their looks alone. And especially after her encounter the night before, she was in no hurry to become cozy to anyone new.

He did not respond. He made no move that he had even noticed that she had said a word. He grabbed some sort of plant, that Pyre had never seen before, from the bag next to him and began tearing the leaves from it and tossing them into his concoction, which was now boiling. He continued to stir everything together for a few moments. The aroma made Pyre's mouth water and reminded her that she hadn't had a good meal in many days. Apparently her stomach remembered as well and grumbled angrily to remind her. She ignored it and repeated her question. She shot glances into the woods around her, still weary this might be some sort of set up.

The old man only chuckled, but still made no move to respond. He grabbed a bowl out of his pack and filled it to the top with the delicious smelling, steaming hot stew. He offered it to Pyre. She eyed it suspiciously, and then eyed old man. His deep blue eyes were soft and warm; she could not sense anything malicious about him, but still was not completely to eat something that could be poisoned. When she made no move to take the bowl from him he shrugged and set it down next to him. He pulled a second bowl from his bag and filled it with the stew. He blew on it once, muttered something under his breath and began to eat. After a few bites, he offered the bowl to her once again. Taking one more look around the area, she relaxed the arrow and held it and the arrow with one hand as she slowly stepped forward and took the bowl from his patient hand. He smiled warmly at her again and patted the log next to him.

"Come, child, sit. You look weary."

Pyre slowly walked around him and sat across from him; still ready to escape on a second's notice. Pyre eyed the man once more before shoveling a spoonful of the stew into her mouth. It burned her tongue and throat, but she was so hungry she didn't care. She did take the time to blow on the next spoonful before she swallowed that one as well. They both ate in comfortable silence for a moment, until Pyre's curiosity got the best of her.

"Who are you?" she asked, for the third time, between bites.

The old man sat for a moment, looking pensive, as if wondering what to tell the young girl.

"I am one with the universe," he responded, "I am a child of the earth, and the trees and the sun. We are all of the same energy, which I can see you are getting some back now, that is good...another bowl?" He reached for the ladle, noticing Pyre's bowl was empty. She shook her head.

"No, thank you. I mean, what is your name? Where did you come from?" Pyre asked again, her irritation coming through. Maybe this was just some crazy old man...then again, something told her otherwise.

"Ahh, now you start asking the correct questions. My name is Artoknshathra, but you may call me Artok. I come from Roradian," Artok responded.

"Roradian?" Pyre didn't know the land all too well, but well enough to know that Roradian was, at least, a couple months' journey, and that was with a fast horse. She looked around, but saw no horse. Surely he didn't walk the whole way! For this old man, walking, it must have taken at least a year. "That's quite a journey. What brings you out this way?"

"Why, you do, Pyrathia," the old man said, watching her.

Pyre jumped up. Nobody called her that other, than her parents when she was a child. Who was this man, and how the hell did he know who she was? She reached for her bow but it jumped away from her. Pyre lurched back in surprise. The old man pushed himself up slowly off the log.

"You do not need to fear me, young one. I am not here to harm you," he said, taking a step towards her. Pyre retreated more, grabbing her hunting knife from her knee-high, tan boots.

"Who the bloody hell are you, old man? And don't lie to me or I will cut out your tongue!" Pyre waved the knife in front of her to show she wasn't kidding.

The old man just smiled at her threat and, with a wave of his hand, made the dagger fly from her hand and slam, sheath-deep, into a nearby tree. Pyre looked at him in horror.

"What do you want from me?" she nearly screamed, her voice breaking with terror. Clearly, her physical strength would do her no good here. She eyed the exits, wondering how far she could make it. She was only a few miles from her village, and she knew this forest fairly well.

"Please, calm yourself," the old man said, taking another step towards her and bringing her attention back to him. A wave of comfort flooded her and she was oddly at ease for a moment. She glanced over at the tree her knife was plunged into, and became tense once again. The old man sighed.

"I knew your mother, Pyrathia; she was a student of mine. Your father as well. I was very sorry to hear of his demise," Artok said, with true sadness in his deep blue eyes.

Pyre tensed up even more. She had never really known her mother. She had died when Pyre was just a little girl. Her father and her aunt had been the ones to raise her. How could this man know both her parents?

"Nice try, old man," she growled angrily, "But my mother died a long time ago."

"No, child, she didn't," Artok retorted.

Pyre looked at him in shock and horror. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. After what had happened the previous night and now this! It was too much. She could feel her sanity melting away. Frantically, she tried to come up with an escape plan. Maybe if she could stall him...

"What do you mean? She died when I was a babe," Pyre said, still slowly edging back away from the clearing.

"I will explain more at a later time, but right now I need you to come with me. There is much for you to learn still before you are ready," Artok said, holding out his hands to her.

"N...no...I'm s...sorry," she stuttered, "You have the wrong girl." She reached down, grabbed her second knife and threw it at the old man in one quick motion. She didn't expect to hit her mark but prayed it was enough of a distraction for her to at least get a head start. Pyre turned and fled, running as fast as her feet would let her. She could hear the old man yelling her name in the distance, but she paid him no attention. She needed to get home, where it was safe. Where she could be with her friends and family, and not have to listen to the ramblings of a crazy old man.

Her mother had died years ago. Rage fueled Pyre's body and kept her going. Cold wind whipped past her face as she flew through the woods, but she did not feel it. Her only thought was to get home. She did not slow until she got to the outskirts of Clomoke and could see the first couple farms. She reduced her sprint to a jog, but then sped it up again, wanting to get home quickly. She did not even look at the people outside tending their fields as she passed. Out of the corner of her eye she could see them looking puzzled when they were not acknowledged, but that was not something she was worried about now.

As she reached her house, she could hear her aunt inside, bustling about. She could smell bread cooking in the oven and meat being smoked in the back. She paused for a second before going inside. She looked up at her small home and smiled. Her pounding heart reminded her that she had been running and what she had been running from and the smile faded.

"I'm home, Keatheri" Pyre called to her aunt, stepping inside the warm, dimly lit cottage. She went to hang her cloak on one of the pegs and remembered that she didn't have her bow anymore. Or her good hunting knives! Pyre glowered and cursed the old man; those cost a pretty penny and now she would have to replace them. She disliked this man more and more by the second. She walked further into the cottage and could hear her aunt bustling around in the kitchen.

It was a small place compared to some of the other homes in the village. The main living room was stocked with a large fire place, a couple of tables and chairs, and a sewing area that had balls of thread strewn about everywhere. The only bedroom, Pyre shared with her aunt and her two little cousins, twins, Jurane and Kytomi; whom Keatheri had adopted when they wondered into their farm. They had only seen five summers so far.

"I'm in here," Keatheri hollered from the third room. This was Pyre's favorite room of the house. She followed the sound of her aunt's humming into the kitchen and stood in the doorway, watching the older lady bustling around, keeping herself busy. The twins played in the corner with some homemade toys. They both had the same olive skin Pyre had, as well as raven black hair and bright green eyes, though theirs' had a yellow ring around the pupil. They barely looked up as Pyre came in, focused on some game they had probably just made up.

"How was your trip, Pyre, honey?" her aunt asked sweetly. She glanced over at Pyre when she said nothing, "That bad, huh? That's ok. We have some food from the garden and enough salted meat in the barn to last us a while." She smiled her sweetest smile and went back to work. Her smiles usually always made Pyre feel better, but today nothing could help raise her mood. She watched her aunt for a moment. The older lady was good-natured and plump. She always had rosy red cheeks and warm brown eyes, the color of the most luscious chocolate. Her long brown hair was tied up in a messy bun. The clothes she was wearing today were old and worn, but still fit her perfectly.

"I was just talking to Ipi the other day and you would not believe what Cahon was telling her!" Keatheri went on in her bubbly tone. "Seems that the Council believes that some of Ruka's drunk rambling, you remember Ruka right?" She asked, turning to Pyre. "That crazy old man that gets plumbed down at Lams et'Vue's tavern every night? Nasty place, I'll say." She pointed the spoon she was holding at Pyre's face, "And don't you ever let me catch you down there miss! There will be hell to pay, you believe that!" She turned back to her cooking, continuing on.

Pyre rolled her eyes, only vaguely listening to what her aunt was saying. She wanted to ask about what the old man had told her, but was still working up the courage. What if he was telling the truth? Would she really want to know?

"Pyrathia?"

Pyre looked up quickly. "Have you been listening to anything I've been saying? I feel like I'm talking to a wall here!"

"Sorry," Pyre muttered. "Long couple days."

"So I see. How'd you manage to get all those scratches there, hun?" Her aunt asked, pointing to her arms and legs.

Pyre glanced down, and for the first time noticed that her arms were covered in little red scratches and her breaches had a bunch of little tears. Nothing too deep but some of them already had caused drops of blood to run down her arms. She growled as she saw her pants however, they were her favorites.

"It was nothing, I wasn't paying attention," she said quickly.

"Uh-huh..." her aunt responded, looking at her intently as though trying to bore it out of her with her eyes. When Pyre didn't say anything more, the plump woman dropped it, for which Pyre was thankful. "Very well then, why don't you take that," she pointed to a bucket of scraps, "out to the barn, wash up and then come in for dinner." Pyre nodded and grabbed the bucket.

"Ooooh! I wan' go thee the hortheth!" Her cousin Jurane lisped as he looked up from the game.

"Me too, me too! Can we come with you, Pypy?" His sister, Keindra asked using the nickname she had come up with.

She started to say no, but could not resist their puppy dog eyes. She laughed out loud.

"Yes Kiki, you guys can come, but no letting the chickens out and chasing them around. I don't feel like chasing them back into their pen right now. Otherwise, I'll stick your mama on you," Pyre said, rustling Jurane's hair. He shot a quick glance at the woman bent over the stove and then smiled wickedly back at Pyre; they both knew it was an empty threat.

The children cheered and ran outside in front of her. Still smiling to herself, she grabbed the bucket and followed them outside to the barn. Her family didn't have a large farm, but it was good for them. Two horses, a dairy cow, a couple of pigs and, in Pyre's opinion, too many chickens. The two young children were already in the barn before Pyre got there and she could hear the chickens squawking. Jurane had NOT heeded her warning. With a sigh, Pyre pulled the barn door closed behind her and starting herding the chickens back to their pen.

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Dommorth closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree. His body was exhausted from riding for three days straight, but his mind was alive with questions about his most current mission. He knew better than to ask questions of the man who held his contract, but that didn't mean he didn't wonder the point of them. Most times they were just to "take care" of certain problems. He _was_ the best assassin in the entire land; not to mention his master kept him in great confidence. So why was nothing told to him about this girl; this girl who was specifically "not to returned damaged" as per his orders.

He opened his eyes, shaking his head hard, trying to clear it. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, a pink and orange glow chasing away the blackness of night. He should have had her the night before. He stood up and stretched, his joints complaining loudly. He glanced over at the soldier comrades with contempt before walking a few feet away to relieve himself. Standing there, his mind wandered back to his quarry. He thought he had seen her hiding in the bushes the night before. Even now, he didn't know why he hadn't checked closer. He would not make that mistake again, the thought to himself furiously.

The tall man replaced himself and turned back towards camp. The men were beginning to stir. Dommorth walked over to his belongings and began to tie his bed roll onto the back of his saddle. They needed to get an early start. He did not want to be out here any longer than he had to; or, at least, out here with these idiots that called themselves soldiers.

"Be ready to leave soon," he called out to them. A few gave him sour looks, which quickly melted away when he turned to stare at them. "We need to use as much daylight as we can." He secured his sword on his belt, along with his throwing knives, and then slung his bow and quiver over his shoulders. After tightening the cinch and making sure his saddle bags were securely belted, Dommorth hopped smoothly onto Fuin; the trained stallion hardly acknowledging him. Dommorth patted the gelding's neck and muttered to it softly. He waited for the others, making his impatience known to them and causing them to hurry. It was a good thing these men knew what he was capable of.

"We are ready to go, sir," Marcus said with a sneer, pulling his brumby up next to darker man. Dommorth looked down at the man, who was at least a head shorter than he, and after a moment the other man took a step back.

"Good," he said, nodding, turning away. "We find that girl today or we burn every village until she finds us." He turned back to the balding man, "Let us be on our way," he said with an evil smile before turning and kicking Fuin into motion.

Marcus froze in fear for a moment before his instincts as Captain kicked in. He called to his troops to march and they lined up behind them. He was not a fan of this tracker giving the orders. He had worked hard to get to where he was; he did not let anything scare him or break him; however, the look that the darker man had in his eyes chilled Marcus to the bone. He thanked his lucky stars he was not the one they were looking for.

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**A/N: I would like to throw a couple shoutouts:**

** Gnat1610:Thank you so much for the review! It made me so happy :D You are awesome!**

** gypsypitcrew: Haha thank you! I didn't use spelll check on that one when I moved it over to here, but I think I got them all fixed.**

**And of course to my unoffical beta! KypNailo: Thank you for all the help! I got most of the stuff changed. **

**You guys are fantastic! Anything you have to say, good, bad, I love it all! It helps me write better! New chapter coming soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to get up everyone. Its not as long as I would have liked but I'm working on the story-line still. I think I have most of what I want to do so there should be more to come very soon. The next chapter will probably have mostly Dommorth's POV. Anyhoo...ENJOY! **

**Also, I made some changes. I think I got all the spelling and grammer errors.**

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**Chapter 3**

_Opening her eyes, Pyre could not see a thing in the darkness that surrounded her. From the stale smell in the air, she figured she was somewhere below ground. She reached out gingerly with a hand that she could barely see and slowly began taking steps forward until it landed on something solid. She felt along the cold stones, searching for a door or an exit of some sort. _

_After a few short paces, she hit another wall. Worry began to creep in. She shook her head and tried to ignore her stomach tied up in knots. Right now, she needed to focus. Pyre continued to feel along the wall, her dread growing with each step. _

_On the final wall, her fears were confirmed as she ran her fingers across a small opening fitted with thick, metal bars. _

_'How the bloody hell...' Pyre shook her head and blinked a couple times, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the dark. Standing on her tip-toes, she tried to peer through the bars. She could see a very dim light at the end of a long hallway that seemed to be moving, but nothing else._

_Pyre sighed and plopped down on the dirt floor. Her eyes were almost fully adjusted and she could see more of her small cell. She reached her arms out to her sides and could almost touch the walls on each side of her. Letting out another sigh, she let her arms drop and began to think of a way to get out of this mess. Suddenly the door to the room flew open and she was blinded by a bright light. _

_Pyre started to bring her hand up to shade her eyes and was immediately wrenched to the ground by her hair. Someone was holding her to the floor, arms pinned up behind her back to the point where she thought they would break if she even breathed. _

_'Have you decided to behave yourself yet child?' The voice sent chills down Pyre's spine. It was colder than any voice she had ever heard. She glanced up as much as she was able, but could only see the outline a dark figure standing in front of her._

_Her mind worked frantically. Her logic told her to say yes, to save herself, but when she opened her mouth, her infamous rebellious side took over. _

_'Never!' she spat. 'I'd rather die than help you!'_

_Growling, the figure stooped down and grabbed her by the throat, almost to the point where she couldn't breathe, yanking her face up to meet his own. She could smell the rancid stench of his breath on her face; a mixture of moldy heart-fruit and rotting meat. It was enough to make her want to empty her stomach._

_'That can be arranged,' he snarled at her._

_Suddenly she felt as though her entire body was covered in nettles and fire beetles. She writhed and screamed in pain. Then, as quick as it came, it was gone. She lay on the ground, panting. The memory of the horrendous pain fresh in her mind._

_'Let's try this one more time, girl,' the figure said. 'I _WILL_ find your child, with your help or not. If you help me, I will make it quick. If not...'_

_He let his threat hang in the air._

_'I do not have a child,' Pyre said, her voice steadier than she had expected it to be._

_'Very well, Myoni, have it your way.'_

_The pain began again, though more intense this time. Her own screams echoing in her ears as the dark figure watched with no expression._

Pyre jolted awake; her shift drenched in sweat. She could still remember the pain vividly. Her dreams had never been that realistic, not even as a child. She got out of bed and went into the kitchen. She filled the basin with water and splashed some on her face, trying to rinse away the feeling of dread. Who the hell was that guy?

"And why would he use my mother's name?" She wondered aloud.

"Who did, dear?" Pyre jumped as her aunt came into the kitchen from outside. The plump woman set a basket on the small table and traded her shawl for the apron hanging on the wall.

"Oh...uh...nobody," Pyre said, "A dream I had, that's all," she added after a moment's pause. Her aunt threw her a questioning glance, then shrugged and began bustling around the kitchen.

"Well, are you just going to stand there like a lump all day?" Keatheri asked teasingly. "Go on with you! The chores are not going to do themselves, you know!"

Pyre smiled and gave her aunt a flourishing bow that was fit for a king. "As you command, your majesty." She quickly jumped out of the way, laughing, as her aunt took a playful swipe at her. Pyre went back into her room and changed into her worn work clothing and headed outside.

The sun was just starting to peak over the hills in the distance; the chill of the night still lingered, making Pyre's breath mist in front of her. A sharp breeze twisted through her hair, making her shiver. She took a leather cord from her pouch and tied her dark hair back out so it would stay out of her face. She reached down to grab the milk bucket and felt someone's fingers running down her spine. She turned quickly, but found no one there. She reached down to her boot for her knife and remembered it was not there. She muttered a curse once again for the old man and grabbed the bucket.

Looking around, Pyre made her way to the barn. She could feel eyes on her, but there wasn't a soul to be seen for miles. She tried to shake off the feeling but was unable to. She looked back to the east. The sun was almost completely above the horizon now; giving the sky a sickly red hue, like blood staining water. First the old man, then that dream. Now this. Pyre shivered again, but this time it had nothing to do with the temperature.

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**A/N: As always...your notes do help me. Good, bad...whatever. I like to know where I need work as much as where I'm doing well! Let me know if there's any mistakes that I missed or whatever! Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Goal for new years: get this story finished! Sorry about the excessive wait time...I promise the rest won't take as long to update!**

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As the day drew on, Pyre couldn't get her mind off the dream. In a way, it almost seemed to be a memory, but that was impossible. She threw herself into her chores but no matter how hard she chopped wood or how intently she plucked weeds from their miniscule garden, dark thoughts lingered.

The old man had said her mother had been alive this whole time. She paused brushing her horse, a brown mare with a white stripe down the middle of her face. She had been a present for Pyre's birthday from her father; he had named it astald'er, though she was not sure of the meaning. The mare nuzzled her, trying to encourage Pyre to continue her brushing. Pyre smiled and gave the horse a final rub down.

"You are too spoiled, Astald'er...you know that?" Pyre said as she scratched the pony's nose.

Pyre's thoughts went back to the old man once again. She couldn't get it off her mind. The young woman squared her shoulders and set off to the house. There was only one way to settle this, she decided. The closer she got to the house, the more uneasy she was about asking her aunt about the strange man's stories. She entered the house and could hear the older woman in the kitchen. She dragged her feet until she was standing in the doorway. She could feel her heart trying to jump out of her chest. She wet her lips before she opened her mouth to speak.

"Keatheri," Pyre started, not exactly sure what she wanted to say. "I met an old man in the forest..."

"Hmmm...That's nice," Keatheri replied nonchalantly, not bothering to look up.

"He said he knew my mother."

Keatheri froze for a second. She turned to look at her niece still standing in the doorway. Her face held an emotion that Pyre could not precisely place. Pyre's mother had been her sister and Keatheri had taken her absence the hardest. She slowly turned to the children playing in the corner, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Jurane, Kytomi, why don't you take your play outside dears, it's so beautiful out today," she said to the twins. They shrugged, picked up their toys and headed outside.

The older lady was silent for a moment. Her eyes were filled with worry and concern. "What...err...what else did he say?" She asked finally. It was almost as though she didn't want to give anything away.

Pyre narrowed her eyes, her aunt had never been one to hide things from her, but she could tell there was something she wasn't saying. "He said she was alive."

Keatheri muttered some curse under her breath. Pyre sucked in a sharp breath and waited for her aunt to continue.

"Um, Py, sweety, you might want to sit down.." Keatheri started. She took and deep breath and began speaking softly, "Your mother didn't die when you were younger, she was a special woman. She had Talents. Back then, evil ruled the world. More so than it does now. The people were being taken advantage of and were unable to defend themselves. Your mother was found by a group of people who wanted change and, like herself, were different. She went with them for the greater good, she did not want to leave you, or any of us for that matter, but she did what she thought she must, to provide us with a better world to live in."

Pyre didn't know what to say. She was frozen in her spot by the door. Her mother had been alive all these years. Everyone had lied to her. Who could she trust now? Had her father known?

As if reading her mind, her aunt continued, "Harland wanted to protect you, Pyre. He refused to go with the others because he wanted you to have a normal life. Her leaving hurt all of us, but she made her choice, just like we all made ours."

Questions swirled around in Pyre's head, but she could not find any words. This was not happening. It must all be a bad dream, or a sick joke.

"Why did nobody ever tell me?" Pyre finally asked, fire burning in her eyes. She still could not believe everyone she knew had lied to her. The older woman reached out a hand to her niece, who recoiled at the attempt. Her aunt sighed and sat down in the small chair.

"Harland begged me not to," she replied, hanging her head. "He had hoped that if you did not know, you would not go after her. She chose a dangerous path to walk down and your father did not want the same for you."

Keatheri kept talking but Pyre couldn't hear anything. Her mind was racing. Abilities? What was her aunt talking about? Her mother AND father had them? And her? She had never noticed anything abnormal before? What was this lady talking about?

"Pyre?"

The young girl's head snapped up and her dark green eyes focused on the other woman. Pyre stood for a moment in silence, not sure what to do. She felt the walls closing in on her. The air inside the small kitchen suddenly became too hot, trying to suffocate her with its muggy fingers. "I need to go," she said suddenly, turning on her heal and heading out the front door. Once outside, Pyre broke into a run and headed straight for the forest. Her aunt followed her to the front of the house, calling her name but Pyre paid no attention. She continued down the road, not looking back. How could this happen? She didn't care where she ended up. Bolting into the forest, Pyre raced at full speed, trying to clear her mind. She couldn't see, couldn't focus. She closed her eyes and continued to run. She wanted to forget everything she had just heard. She wanted to pretend none of this had just happened. Suddenly, Pyre slammed into something solid and fell back. She landed hard on the ground, ripping her palm open on a rock.

"FIRE AND LIGHT!" Pyre hollered, holding her hand close to her chest. Her hand was throbbing and blood began pouring from the open wound. She looked up to see what she had slammed into and saw the old man she had met earlier. She tried to scramble away, wincing as she put weight on her injured hand. Artok crouched down and took her bloody hand in his. He put his other hand over top of it and closed his eyes, muttering softly to himself. Pyre tried to pull her hand away, but she found that she couldn't move. Her entire body was frozen in place, except her eyes, which flew wildly back and forth. After a few moments, he dropped her hand and Pyre could feel that she had control of her body once more. She tried to jump up but in her rush, she fell awkwardly again, landing hard on the ground.

"Please, calm down," Artok sighed. "You're going to injure yourself again and I don't have enough energy to keep healing you."

Pyre looked up at him in surprise. He nodded towards her hand, which she had totally forgotten about. It was still covered in blood, but it was no longer throbbing. Pyre dabbed it lightly, in order to assess the damage and realized there was not a scratch. She wiped her hand on her britches to clear away the blood. Still, no scratch. It was as though she was covered in someone else's blood and not her own. Pyre looked up in astonishment. She realized her mouth was hanging open and snapped it shut.

"How...how did you do that?"

"There are a many number of things you do not know about this world, Pyre."

Pyre glowered at the older man. "What do you want with me?"

"I would just like to talk if that is acceptable," he replied calmly.

Pyre eyed the man, and then nodded slowly. He held out his hand to her and she grabbed it, pulling herself from the ground.

"You left in such a hurry, child, you forgot these," Artok said, holding out her hunting knife and bow. Pyre murmured thanks and replaced her weapons to their homes. She opened her mouth to speak but the old man silenced her with the wave of his hand. "Now is not the time for questions," he said calmly. "You are in grave danger and we must leave now."

Pyre shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere with you until you explain what the hell is going on here. How do you know me? How do you know my mother?"

The old man turned quickly and looked into the distance. "We must leave, child. There is no time for questions now," he said again. He grabbed her wrist and began to run deeper into the forest. She followed his awkwardly for a moment, then pulled her arm free and stopped.

"I am no-"she began to say but was silenced by the sound of horses behind her. She spun around just in time to see an army of soldiers in red coats. Pyre cursed under her breath and ducked into an overgrowth of brush. She watched as they passed her without a word. There had to be at least one hundred men, all in the satin red coats with embroidery on the chest and right sleeve. There were few with horses, but all were decorated with the same red plumed face masks. One near the front carried a flag with a symbol she had never seen before. They were all armed with swords or crossbows. Pyre wondered where they were headed when she caught a glimpse of the dark man again. His dark cloak hung around his body and trailed off the back of his great, black mount. He eyed the trees like a hawk, looking for anything and everything, it seemed. He scanned the area where she was hiding and Pyre ducked out of sight quickly. She tried not to breathe. After a moment, she glanced up to see if he was still watching and saw him staring directly at her. He sat atop his stallion, not moving a muscle. Like a perfect statue again. The soldiers continued to follow their path, but he, as well as his horse, were now stationary. Pyre met his eyes and could not move. She wanted to run but was unable to. Dommerth narrowed his eyes and his mouth only just twitched enough that Pyre was unsure whether it actually had or not. One of the soldiers came to his side and began speaking quietly to him. Dommerth slowly pulled his eyes from Pyre's and spoke with the other man, still not moving from his spot. Pyre ducked down as low as she could and watched the captivating man through the leaves that were concealing her. The soldier turned his mount back towards the front of the column and Dommerth looked back to where she had been. She could see his face tighten only slightly. He took a step in her direction when the soldier called him. Glancing once more into the trees, Dommerth turned his mount and galloped to the front of the marching soldiers.

As the last soldier passed, Pyre felt a hand on her shoulder. Another hand covered her mouth just in time to stifle a scream.

"Please," she heard the old man whisper in her ear, "We need to go now!"

Pyre turned slowly and Artok put a finger to his lips. She nodded silently. The old man turned and started walking up the hill. Pyre took one last look towards the soldiers, now disappearing into the trees, then turned and followed the old man deep into the forest.


End file.
